Teach Children to Save: DIY Milk Jug Piggy Bank

In honor of April as Financial Literacy Month, and April 28 as Teach Children to Save Day, LifeStore Bank is encouraging young savers with a fun, unique project: DIY Milk Jug Piggy Bank!

Follow the instructions below with your child to make your very own Milk Jug Piggy Bank and start saving today!

 

What You Will Need:

  • 1 clean, dry, plastic milk jug (gallon or half gallon work best)
  • Cardboard egg carton
  • Scissors
  • Pink spray paint (or any color you want your piggy to be)
  • Construction paper (pink and white for a more traditional piggy or any color combination you'd like)
  • Black permanent marker
  • Googly eyes
  • Pipe cleaner
  • Craft kinfe (adult supervison)
  • Hot glue gun and/or school glue (adult supervision)
  • Glue stick
  • Embellishments of your choosing such as feathers or stickers

 

Instructions:

  1. Clean the milk jug and remove lables with warm soapy water. Allow to dry completely.
  2. Using a craft knife, cut a slot on the top of the pig's back just big enough to insert coins and bills.
  3. Using scissors, cut out four egg cups from an egg carton, leaving one side higher than the other. These will be used as the feet. 
  4. Glue the feet to the opposite side of the milk jug handle. Allow to dry completely. 
  5. In a well-ventilated space (outdoors is best), spray paint the entire milk jug and feet. Allow to dry completely. 
  6. Using scissors, cut out ears from the construction paper. 
  7. Glue the smaller pink ears onto the larger white ears. Allow to dry completely. 
  8. Glue the ears to the pig. Allow to dry completely. 
  9. Glue the googly eyes on either side of the handle. Allow to dry completely. 
  10. Using a permanent marker, draw eyebrows, add nose holes on the cap, and a mouth underneath the cap. 
  11. Wrap the pipe cleaner around your finger a few times to create the tail. 
  12. Glue the tail to the back of the pig.  
  13. At this point, add whatever fun elements you would like to make your piggy as unique as you!

 

   gallon milk jug spray painted pink